W Smith Road month-long closure begins, Driver cited for DUI in rollover crash that injured teens, New Downtown Safety Strategy document details plans to make downtown safer, All backlogged sexual assault kits cleared from shelves and sent for testing, New rules to protect homes from wildfire ignite controversy, PROMO:Thrillingham, Democracy Block, WA 2023 fire season a ‘wake-up,’ DNR chief says
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KMRE brings you local news for Monday, October 30th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: W Smith Road month-long closure begins
Starting today, West Smith Road in Ferndale will be closed to all traffic for a month. The closure is part of the City of Ferndale’s plans to decommission a sewer pump station in the area of Bel West Drive and West Smith Road.
Traffic will be detoured around the closure via Barrett Road, Main Street, and Northwest Drive. Residents and businesses inside the closure zone will be able to access their homes and businesses.
STORY: Driver cited for DUI in rollover crash that injured 5 teens
Five Bellingham teens were injured in a rollover crash early Sunday morning on Interstate 5.
According to the State Patrol, a total of six people, aged 15 through 18, were in a pickup truck that drifted off the freeway on northbound I-5 at Northwest Drive. The truck then hit the median cable barrier and rolled, eventually coming to rest and blocking the northbound lanes.
The 18-year-old driver was cited on suspicion of drunken driving and released for treatment at St. Joseph Medical Center. The investigation is still ongoing.
STORY: New Downtown Safety Strategy document details plans to make downtown safer
Due to the increase in crime after COVID, city officials have created a new Downtown Safety Strategy document, with steps to maintain security downtown.
One step is recruiting more police officers to provide more consistent staffing for the recent foot patrols. The program was resumed in July after being halted by the pandemic, and is currently being run on a volunteer basis. The new strategy document also includes monthly street cleanings to make downtown more inviting.
According to the report, the city will also collaborate with Whatcom County to deploy $9 million dollars in state funding to support mental health programs. This funding will be shared with nonprofit organizations that provide housing, behavioral health and services to the county homeless populations.
As of now, the 9-page document is considered subject to change, but provides an outline of the city’s response to a crisis worsened by the pandemic.
STORY: All backlogged sexual assault kits cleared from shelves and sent for testing
Attorney General Bob Ferguson has announced that over 10,000 backlogged sexual assault kits have been successfully cleared.
The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative provided the funding needed to get the kits to labs for testing– efforts which have already resulted in the resolution of at least 21 sexual assault cases and over two thousand DNA ‘hits’ in the national crime offenders database. The crimes solved through this initiative span from 2002 to 2015.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, two changes are needed to eliminate the backlog and keep it from happening again–additional funds earmarked for the state crime lab, and a 30-day mandatory submission deadline.
To date, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative has expanded to include financial grants for DNA collection, evidence storage, and forensic genetic genealogy testing for cold cases. It has also added DNA profiles from registered sex offenders and violent offenders to the national DNA database.
STORY: New rules to protect homes from wildfire ignite controversy
New state codes meant to protect buildings from wildfires have been met with backlash from builders, cities, and environmentalists alike.
Taking effect in March, the Washington Wildland-Urban Interface Code will require new construction to use fire resistant materials. It also includes a requirement for a “defensible space” buffer zone between the structure and surrounding vegetation. Areas affected by the new codes are determined by Washington’s wildland urban interface map, which shows where structures meet or mix with vegetative fuel. This includes, but is not limited to, the majority of areas in and around Bellingham, Ferndale, and Lynden.
Critics of the code say that the map includes many low-risk places, and is inconsistent with other agencies’ processes for determining fire risk. Lawmakers are using the map from the Department of Natural Resources, who has said that its map is not intended to be an end-all assessment of fire risk.
Other critics believe the buffer zone rule will cause many trees to be unnecessarily cut down, and prevent future trees from being planted in areas that need it. Michael Feerer, executive director of the Whatcom Million Trees Project, says the new code contradicts climate mitigation plans by numerous local jurisdictions and that changes must be made as soon as possible.
The Building Code Council will meet again next month to discuss possible changes.
PROMO: Thrillingham
Thrillingham is a volunteer-run Bellingham dance group that performs to the Michael Jackson song every Halloween. However due to COVID, the group has been on a four year hiatus.
KMRE Reporter AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN) visited one of their weekly rehearsals to interview some of the performers trying to resurrect this holiday tradition.
THRILLINGHAM CLIP AUDIO
Listen to the complete story today after the 5pm news.
STORY: Democracy Block
Today is the last day to register to vote online or update your registration before Election Day next Tuesday.
If you have a Washington State driver’s license or ID card you can register or update your information online. If you don’t have one, you can still fill out a registration form at the County Auditor’s office.
In more election news, KMRE and Cascadia Daily have collaborated on a series of interviews with some of the 2023 candidates for office. KMRE News has chosen a series of questions so that listeners can compare the candidates’ positions on issues that matter most to Whatcom County.
Tomorrow after the 5pm news, listen to County Executive Satpal Sidhu and challenger Dan Purdy answer questions on affordable housing in Whatcom and share their ideas on possible answers.
WX: Sunny
Today will be sunny with a high of 55°. Tonight has lows around 38, with some calm winds and clouds coming in. Temperatures tomorrow will be similar, and rain will come later this week.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, and Connor O’Boyle. Tune in to local news on KMRE weekdays at 3, 4 and 5 p-m. For news tips and feedback, send us an email at news@kmre.org or call 360-398-6150. KMRE is a nonprofit community radio station, powered by listener donations. I’m ________________ and thanks for listening.
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STORY: WA 2023 fire season a ‘wake-up call,’ DNR chief says
This year’s fire season in Washington was especially challenging, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
While fewer acres burned this year in total than in previous years, the fires were some of the most catastrophic. The Gray and Oregon Road fires were the most destructive ever in Spokane County history. The fires killed two people and destroyed over 350 structures. And for the first time, more fires sparked in Western Washington than in Central and Eastern Washington combined. DNR reported 596 fires on the western side of the state, and 559 on the eastern side.
Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz called it a “wake-up call” for Western Washington, urging people to start safeguarding their homes from fires, and protecting forest health to prevent wildfires from getting out of hand in the first place.
Run after ruling–
The Washington State Supreme Court is set to hear a significant case involving the rights of people sheltering in their vehicles.
A growing number of homeless individuals in Washington are living in their vehicles, but they face challenges due to local laws, including bans on vehicle habitation, restrictive parking rules, and towing. These laws often force people to leave their communities, even if they have lived there for a long time.
Jack Potter, a longtime resident of Lacey, was forced to live in his travel trailer due to housing market pressures. Lacey passed a law prohibiting vehicles used as shelter from parking in town for more than four hours, essentially forcing Potter and others out of their community.
Tomorrow, Potter’s case will be heard by the Washington Supreme Court.
